Philip Deidesheimer
Encyclopedia
Philip Deidesheimer was a German mining engineer who invented a system of supports for mines
, using heavy timber
"cubes" now known as square set timbering, that enabled skilled miners to open three-dimensional cavities of any size underground. In large openings, the cbes could be filled with waste rock, creating a solid pillar of wood and rock from floor to roof ("back" in miners terminology). Deidesheimer created the system for the Ophir Mine in Virginia City, Nevada
in 1860. The system, which was inspired by the structure of honeycomb
s, enabled mining of the large silver orebodies of the Comstock Lode
, which were in very weak rock -- in miner's terms, "heavy ground." Deidesheimer refused to patent
the innovation, which was easily the most important mining innovation of 1860.
Deidesheimer studied at the mining academy of Freiberg, Germany (see Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
), and was mining in Georgetown, California
prior to being hired by W. F. Babcock, a trustee of the Ophir Mine in April 1860. As was common with the Comstock mines, the rock in the Ophir mine was soft and easily collapsed into the working stopes (cavities where ore is extracted). In addition, the presence of clay that would swell greatly upon exposure to air caused great pressures that the mine timbering of that day could not hold back. The square set timbering method devised by Deideshimer slowed the swelling action long enough for ore extraction, though with time the timbering was crushed by the enormous pressures found in the Comstock mines. Deidesheimer was made Superintendent of the Ophir Mine by mine owner William Sharon
in early 1875. He was bankrupted by speculation in mining stocks in 1878.
After the decline of the Comstock mines in the late 1870s, Deideshimer continued his successful mining career at the Young America Mine in Sierra City, California, where he was one of the five mine owners made rich over the five years of good production at that mine.
Deidesheimer designed and supervised construction of a smelter in Granite County, Montana
. The town that formed around the smelter was named Philipsburg
, in honor of Deidesheimer.
Philip Deidesheimer was the subject of the NPR radio program The Engines of Our Ingenuity in Episode 1901 and was inducted into the (USA) National Mining Hall of Fame.
The development of his square-set timbering method was fictionalized in "The Diedesheimer Story" in season one of Bonanza.
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, using heavy timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
"cubes" now known as square set timbering, that enabled skilled miners to open three-dimensional cavities of any size underground. In large openings, the cbes could be filled with waste rock, creating a solid pillar of wood and rock from floor to roof ("back" in miners terminology). Deidesheimer created the system for the Ophir Mine in Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
in 1860. The system, which was inspired by the structure of honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
s, enabled mining of the large silver orebodies of the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
, which were in very weak rock -- in miner's terms, "heavy ground." Deidesheimer refused to patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
the innovation, which was easily the most important mining innovation of 1860.
Deidesheimer studied at the mining academy of Freiberg, Germany (see Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
The Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg is a small German University of Technology with about 5000 students in the city of Freiberg, Saxony...
), and was mining in Georgetown, California
Georgetown, California
Georgetown is a census-designated place in El Dorado County, California. It is the northeastern-most town in the Californian Mother Lode. The population was 2,367 at the 2010 census, up from 962 at the 2000 census...
prior to being hired by W. F. Babcock, a trustee of the Ophir Mine in April 1860. As was common with the Comstock mines, the rock in the Ophir mine was soft and easily collapsed into the working stopes (cavities where ore is extracted). In addition, the presence of clay that would swell greatly upon exposure to air caused great pressures that the mine timbering of that day could not hold back. The square set timbering method devised by Deideshimer slowed the swelling action long enough for ore extraction, though with time the timbering was crushed by the enormous pressures found in the Comstock mines. Deidesheimer was made Superintendent of the Ophir Mine by mine owner William Sharon
William Sharon
William Sharon was a United States Senator from Nevada who profited from the Comstock Lode.-Early life:Sharon was born in Smithfield, Ohio, January 9, 1821, the son of William Sharon and Susan Kirk. He attended Ohio University. After studying law in St. Louis, Missouri, he was admitted to the bar...
in early 1875. He was bankrupted by speculation in mining stocks in 1878.
After the decline of the Comstock mines in the late 1870s, Deideshimer continued his successful mining career at the Young America Mine in Sierra City, California, where he was one of the five mine owners made rich over the five years of good production at that mine.
Deidesheimer designed and supervised construction of a smelter in Granite County, Montana
Granite County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Deerlodge National Forest *Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,830 people, 1,200 households, and 784 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 2,074 housing units at an average...
. The town that formed around the smelter was named Philipsburg
Philipsburg, Montana
Philipsburg is a town in and the county seat of Granite County, Montana, United States. The population was 914 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the famous mining engineer Philip Deidesheimer, who designed and supervised the construction of the ore smelter around which the town...
, in honor of Deidesheimer.
Philip Deidesheimer was the subject of the NPR radio program The Engines of Our Ingenuity in Episode 1901 and was inducted into the (USA) National Mining Hall of Fame.
The development of his square-set timbering method was fictionalized in "The Diedesheimer Story" in season one of Bonanza.